One month in...what should you see?

By: CynDee Zandes

This article is written by a member of our expert blogging team.

Well, for most of us, our afterschool program has been operating for about a month this school year.  The program routine is being established and everyone is getting into the groove.  There is a rhythm to the afterschool day so it’s time to take your program to the next level. 

Photo via C4K

By this time your program agreements are most likely established and your young people are demonstrating they understand your expectations of safety, respect, and responsibility in a variety of program environments—multi-purpose room, hallway, restroom, classroom, playground, drinking fountain, gymnasium, and laboratories.  Parents have learned the routine of sign-out and if you run program in California, how to complete an Early Release Form to pick a child up before the required time has passed. 

Shine some light on afterschool programs

Photo via Boys and Girls Club of Laguna Beach

On Thursday, October 18, 2012 over one million Americans in thousands of communities across the nation will celebrate Lights On Afterschool, an event that first began in 2000.  Afterschool programs keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families.

One of the most startling facts is that in America, 15.1 million children (a rate of 1 in every 4) are left alone and unsupervised in the hours between the school bell and parents being able to leave work.  Afterschool programs across the country create a safe place for kids to be afterschool.  But they don’t stop at “safe place,” they bring in academic support, enrichment activities, youth voice and choice, wellness, career and college readiness, STEM, and any other club or class that youth will find relevant and rigorous and give them an opportunity to work with a partner or in small groups.

Get involved. Change a life.

We are working to improve the quality of afterschool and out-of-school time programs by providing staff with free and low-cost training and professional development. We believe that the impact that working in the field of informal education is two-fold: first to the adults working with youth who are educators, mentors, leaders and life-changers; and of course, to the kids in the programs who are exposed to opportunities that they might never receive otherwise that prepare them to be successful adults and leaders. 

Be a part of the movement. 

Volunteer your time by assisting us with a variety of special projects like researching grant opportunities, updating our blog or creating new media! Your skills and passion for helping youth is all you need! If you don’t have time to volunteer, become a part of our giving program! Donate the cost of one cup of Starbucks coffee every month, and you’ll be helping to bring high-quality training to afterschool programs in your community! Help us spread the word! Become a member, then share our cause with your friends and colleagues to strengthen the network of support for kids in afterschool and out-of-school time programs. Join us on Twitter and Facebook, follow the Afterschool the Movement blog and subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Feeling extra charitable? Do all three! You will be a part of a legacy that is leveling the playing field for youth so that every young person will have the opportunity to maximize his or her potential.

A Look Back at Independence, A Look Forward to Interdependence

Photo via Asia Society

According to Stephen Covey there is a Maturity Continuum that moves from “dependence” to “independence” and then to “interdependence.”  Just as this continuum is important for human beings in individual development, it is an important continuum for countries as well.  Countries must progress through the stages from dependent, to independent, and interdependent just like people.  As we become more globally interdependent, countries which have a long history of independence, may find that transition to interdependence easier to make.  In the United States we are all familiar with July 4th, but are you as familiar with September 16th?

In Mexico, on September 16, 1810, the “Cry of Independence” was uttered in the small town of Dolores.  This event marked the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence from Spain.  A Roman Catholic priest, Hidalgo, led the Revolution until his death, and his role in Mexican Independence is as celebrated as the role of Washington in the United States. 

Reflections of a Youth Development Grandmother

By: CynDee Zandes

This articles is written by a member of our expert blogging team.

What was special about September 9, 2012?  Is it that it is the Sunday after Labor Day?  Is it that most kids have gone back to school?  Is it the first official day of fall?  (Unless of course you are in the Southern Hemisphere and it would be the first official day of spring.)  The answer is, none of the above.  It was Grandparent’s Day.  That’s right, Grandparent’s Day.  This is a day that you have to “age” into—much like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day just with more investment of time.

Personally I have learned many things from my grandchildren—Nick and Ryan.  I have learned how much fun it is to see the world through eyes that are full of curiosity and wonder.  I have learned how the seemingly most insignificant things can mean the world to you.  I have learned how to truly enjoy each stage of their growing up.

FREE Webinars for Afterschool Professionals - Tuesday, September 18!

We are happy to offer free webinars to our list of professional development support we provide to the afterschool field. These courses are designed for all levels of staff, from frontline staff to site coordinators to even those directing multiple programs and blend the online instruction that web-based training gives with real time interaction and feedback. That means that any time during the course, you can ask a question, make a comment or contribute to a conversation along with all the other participants joining the webinar. Our expert trainers respond and use this feedback to guide the learning.

We know that true development doesn't happen in one one-hour training, so we've structured the webinars to build upon each other with a new topic every third Tuesday of the month. They are a great for individual development, as well as team and group development. Participate in the webinars with colleagues and use them as discussion topics for meetings. We even record the sessions, so if you ever need to a refresher, all you have to do is click the play button.

What We're Reading: "Platform" by Michael Hyatt

Master consultant, CynDee, is reading Platform. Check out her takeaways below. 

Are you confused about how to use social media in a coherent system to get your message out? Would you like your stakeholders and partners to know about the great things you are doing? Do you struggle with knowing who to follow, how to use Twitter and text messaging, and what it means to use your website to support your work? Michael Hyatt, former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, has written Platform: Get Noticed In A Noisy World, to share the answers to these and many other questions with you and me.

Now if you are social media savvy, Hyatt’s information will serve as a confirmation for what you already know. Well, it is also possible that you will learn a new thing or two as well. For those of us who are less knowledgeable, many of your confusions will be resolved.